Decorative light fixture



Jan. 23,

SUBSTITUTE FOR MISSING XR T, c, JOYCE DECORATIVE LIGHT FIXTURE Filed July 16, 1959 T SEARCH ROOM Kai- E1101 llraa' AT ORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,018,362 Patented Jan. 23, 1962 Filed July 16, 1959, Ser. No. 827,648

2 Claims. (Cl. 240-).

The present invention relates to a decorative light fixture for use in decorative and display purposes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a decorative light fixture having a plurality of light emitting rods associated with a single light bulb therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a decorative light fixture of the class described above in which color screens are utilized to produce varying colors in the light emitting rods.

A further object of the invention is to provide a decorative light fixture of the class described above in which a plastic spherical shell supports a plurality of radially outwardly extending light emitting plastic rods removably secured thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a decorative light fixture of the class described above in which a plastic spherical shell flexibly supports a plurality of radially outwardly extending plastic light emitting rods to prevent breakage of the fixture.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in light of the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical seetional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevational view shown partially broken away and in section of a modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates gen erally a decorative light fixture constructed in accordance with the invention.

The decorative light fixture 10 includes a relatively thin translucent flexible plastic spherical shell 11 having an internally threaded fitting 12 secured thereto. A tubular conduit 13 is threaded into the fitting 12, mounting the spherical shell 11 on the lower end thereof. A chain 14 is secured to the upper end of'the conduit 13 to suspend the conduit 13 and the shell 11 from a ceiling or other support.

The spherical shell 11 has a plurality of spaced apart bores 15 formed therein, each to receive a bushing 16 having external threads 17 thereon. The threads 17 on the bushing 16 thread their way through the bore 15 to secure the bushing 16 to the spherical shell 11. Each of the bushings 16 have internal threads 18 extending therethrough.

A solid plastic cylindical rod 19 has external threads 20 on its inner end arranged for threading into the threads 18 in the bushing 16. With a rod 19 threaded into each of the bushings 16, the light fixture 10 assumes the starlike appearance, as illustrated in FIGURE l. The flexibility of the spherical shell 11 permits the rods 19 to be moved relative to each other to a minor degree so that the fixture 10 will not break when subjected to shocks, such as being dropped. v

A circular color screen 21 is arranged to be supported by the internal threads 18 of the bushing 16, with the screen 21 in contact with the inner end of one of the rods 19, as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

An incandescent light bulb 22 is mounted in the lower end of the tubular conduit 13 and is connected by wires 23 to a. source of electric current. The light bulb 22 causes light rays to be emitted through the translucent spherical shell 11 and through the light emitting plastic rods 1 9 The color screen 21 can be used to cause the "T661 19 to have a plurality of colors of any desired hue.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIG- URE 4 wherein the plastic spherical shell 11 is provided with a plurality of bushings 16 to support in each a light transmitting solid plastic rod 19A. The rod 19A has a plastic spherical ball B secured to the outer end thereof to produce additional decorative effects. It should be understood that any one or all of the rods 19 may be replaced with .the rods 19A, and that the rods 19 and 19A may be of varying lengths in any specific light fixture 10.

It should also be understood that while the rods 19, 19A have been illustrated as being of cylindrical form, they may have any other desired cross section and exterior form to produce the desired decorative results.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A decorative light fixture comprising a translucent hollow flexible spherical shell provided with a plurality of spaced bores, a threaded fitting extending into said shell. a tubular conduit having a portion adjacent one end provided with external threads positioned exteriorly of said shell and having said one end portion threadably engaged in said fitting, a light emitting bulb supported in said one end of said conduit, means connected to the other end of said conduit for dependingly supporting said conduit from an overhead support, a bushing mounted in each of said bores, and an elongated cylindrical light transmitting plastic rod mounted in each of said bushings with said rods arranged in light transmitting relation to the light bulb supported in said fixture, said flexible plastic shell supporting said bushings and therethrough said plastic rods to permit limited movement between said plastic rods and said shell to prevent breakage of said rods, circular color screens supported on said bushings adjacent the inner ends of said light transmitting plastic rods, translucent spherical plastic light transmitting balls integrally secured to the ends of at least some of said light transmitting rods opposite said plastic shell.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bushings are externally threaded to thread themselves into the bores in said shell and are internally threaded to permit threaded ends on said rods to be threaded therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 905,011 Smith Nov. 24, 1908 1,662,153 Kerr Mar. 13, 1928 1,903,330 Young et al Apr. 4, 1933 2,204,362 Illian June 11, 1940 2,340,530 Hefner Feb. 1, 1944 2,434,774 Sigman Jan. 20, 1948 2,794,284 Burnbaum June 4, 1957 

